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HOMELAND
SECURITY BILL CLEARS SENATE IN
RESOUNDING, BIPARTISAN VOTE
New, coordinating
intelligence division created
November 19, 2002
WASHINGTON - Senate Governmental
Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Tuesday
hailed Senate passage of a bill establishing a cabinet-level
Department of Homeland Security to meet terrorist threats
against Americans at home. The bill, based primarily on
legislation introduced by Lieberman last year and approved by
the Governmental Affairs Committee in July, will bring about the
largest government reorganization in more than a half century.
The department to be created
includes a new intelligence division that would, for the first
time, receive in one place all law enforcement and intelligence
information pertaining to domestic terrorist threats, then fuse,
analyze, and strategically disseminate it to the necessary
authorities.
Lieberman noted the
consolidation of more than two dozen government agencies under
the leadership of an accountable secretary would marshal America’s
resources to meet an unprecedented threat.
"This legislation will
improve the security of all Americans in the age of insecurity
that we entered after September 11th," he said.
"Too few gaps have been closed in the 13 months since
Senator Specter and I proposed legislation creating a Department
of Homeland Security, and the five months since the President
decided to support the idea. But this is a critical step forward
and a vast improvement over the administration’s initial
proposal."
The new department -
influenced by recommendations from the Commission on National
Security/21st Century, chaired by former Senators Gary Hart and
Warren Rudman - will be organized into five major divisions:
border and transportation protection, emergency preparedness and
response, intelligence analysis and infrastructure protection,
immigration affairs, and science and technology. Working
together, they are designed to pinpoint the nation’s security
vulnerabilities, develop strategies to close them, and swiftly
bring about needed reforms.
The bill
would also establish a comprehensive science and technology
division designed to spark public- and private-sector
development of the next generation of homeland security
technologies to guard against terrorist threats. Included in
this division is a $500 million innovation fund designed to
bring the best minds in academia, government and business to
bear on the toughest security problems America faces.
"Today,
homeland security is institutionally homeless," Lieberman
said. "Everyone's in charge, and therefore no one is in
charge. Under this bill, as under our Committee-approved
legislation, homeland security has finally found a home."
The Governmental
Affairs Committee held over 18 hearings beginning September 12,
2001, on a range of homeland security issues. Lieberman first
introduced legislation to create a new Homeland Security
Department in October 2001, after Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas,
introduced similar legislation in the House. In May, 2002, the
Governmental Affairs Committee approved a revised version of
Lieberman’s original bill; and in July, the committee approved
an updated version of that bill, which closely tracks the bill
passed today.
Lieberman reiterated
his disappointment over the administration’s insistence upon
stripping homeland security workers of basic rights and
protections and pledged vigorous oversight to ensure the
administration does not abuse its newfound authority.
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